Unmei no Kodomo: Destiny's Child
by Nami
Summary: Tokyo has been destroyed, threatened, and demolished more times than one can count. It always recovers. But can it recover from the Kenshin-gumi in the twentieth-century? (AU; Drama; Possible Angst, Violence, and OOC)
1. Prolgue

Not everyone believes in legends or the power of a legend. Some can go on not believing for their entire lives. However, others are slapped in the face, spun around, and forced to see the power of the myth and, in some cases, the truth behind the myth. From the smallest village to the largest city, people are forced into these realizations every second of every day. 

This is the story of one such realization.

Unmei no Kodomo 

_Destiny's Child_

By Nami

**:::Prologue:::**

Tokyo, Japan

October 13, 1990

Midorikawa Yanagi hated his name. Not really because of what it meant, _green river willow_, but because it sounded too feminine for his tastes. He asked his friends and teachers to call him Ken (_sword_) instead of the hated Yanagi. It was bad enough, in his opinion that he looked like a girl _sounded_ like a girl, and was _mistaken for_ a girl on more than one occasion. He decided that he did not need a "girl's name" to go along with it all. 

Yanagi, or "Ken", loved kendo, though, and practiced at the neighborhood dojo every day. He had mastered his technique and had begun teaching classes for beginners as soon as he entered high school. He was the top teacher and the rising star of the professional fencing circuit.

But then, he moved. Ken hated moving almost as much as he hated his given name. He hated making new friends, teaching a whole new group of peers to call him "Ken" and not "Yanagi", but most of all, he hated leaving everyone behind. He hated saying goodbye to all his friends and students. He did move, though, because his father received that big promotion. And he started attending a new school, because that's what he did. But he _hated_ it.

He also hated anime, which his sisters _loved_. They were constantly calling him either "Nuriko" or "Ken-san", depending on which anime series they had just watched. He had given it a try. He sat down with his sisters one day while they watched "Rurouni Kenshin", but he couldn't stop picking out all the impracticalities in the show. _No one_ could move that fast. So he stopped watching and thoroughly _hated_ the fact that his sisters were so taken with their imaginary heroes and battles.

[However, just so that the Reader does not believe that _our_ imaginary hero hated _everything_ in the world…]

He _loved_ sushi; _loved_ cooking; _loved_ the beach; _loved_ wintertime when the snow fell outside his window; and _loved_ kendo. He was a creature of extremes.

And so, because of his devotion to the Way of the Sword, he did two things upon his arrival in Tokyo. First of all, he paid a visit to the nearest training hall. Immediately thereafter, he joined the kendo club at school.

The club was rather small and was always grouped together with the other martial arts clubs at the school, which were also a bit small. The captain of the kendo team was a fellow sophomore, which was a bit unusual in itself. It was also a girl, which was another oddity (in Ken's mind). Her name was Hinata Tsukiko, and she was actually rather good. Ken soon found himself feeling more and more at home in his new surroundings.


	2. UnK Chapter 1

Unmei no Kodomo 

_Destiny's Child_

By Nami

**:::Chapter 1:::**

"Ken-san!" the pleasantly high-pitched voice sounded from behind Ken as he walked away from the school in the direction of the training hall. He turned with a smile and saw Tsukiko jogging towards him, black ponytail waving behind her. 

"Tsukiko-san!" he waved and stopped to wait for her. "Did you need something?" 

"No, not really. Just thought I'd walk with you." Tsukiko said, smiling. "Where are you headed?"

"The Nanase Dojo. I teach classes there on Thursdays." 

"Really? I live right next to the dojo. Mind if I walk with you?"

"Sure." He moved over on the sidewalk so she could walk beside him and shortened his stride to match hers. They were nearly the same height, but Ken was taller than her by five or six centimeters, and his legs were longer.

"You've been practicing kendo for a long time, huh?" she said conversationally.

"Since I could hold a shinai, it seems." Ken said, half-smiling.

"You always seem so serious and dedicated. A lot of the people in there aren't dedicated at all, and it annoys me." She adjusted the straps of her backpack and hooked her thumbs through them. 

"So I noticed." Ken said wryly. Earlier that day, she had (rather loudly and publicly) chewed out one of the upperclassmen for coming in late and not having his gear. 

"We rarely get new members in the club, so I really appreciate your commitment, you know?"

"Well I love kendo."

"You seem so very loyal to it."

"It's my life." He said vaguely. There was a long pause.

"What about family?" Tsukiko said finally. Ken looked at her incongruously. "What?" she said defensively. "It's a conversation topic, right?" Ken laughed.

"Well, I live with my parents and sisters."

"Oh, how old are your sisters?"

"Emi's eight and Sara's six."

"I love little girls!"

"You want 'em?"

"No thanks, my landlord doesn't allow pets." Ken laughed at that. 

They chatted the rest of the way to the training hall. 

"I live in the apartments over there." Tsukiko pointed over her shoulder at the complex across the street. "Number 211. Why don't you come over after practice?" they had agreed to meet to study history together. Ken nodded, 

"All right. I don't get done till almost six, though."

"No problem. We can order Chinese." She smiled and waved before jogging across the street. Ken smiled and headed into the training hall.

Seitou-san, a friend of Nanase-san and the owner of another Kendo training hall in town was there when Ken arrived.

"Ah, Yanagi-kun!" Nanase-san greeted. "How are you faring?"

"I'm doing well, sir." Ken said respectfully. "But could you please call me Ken?"

"Why? Yanagi is the name your parents gave you, isn't it?"

"Well, yes sir." Ken said hesitantly.

"Well, then! Honor them by using the name they chose for you!" 

"Yes sir." Ken said, looking at the ground. 

"Good boy! Your students are waiting for you in the main hall. And Seitou will be observing you tonight."

"Thank you, sir." Ken bowed and walked towards the main hall, Seitou-san following him closely. Ken took time to change into a kendo gi and grab a shinai before entering.

:::

Two hours later, Ken dismissed the class. Yamazaki, a fourth grader at the neighborhood elementary school, was the last to leave. He was, by far, the most dedicated in the class of twelve. Seitou approached Ken when everyone was gone.

"Midorikawa-san," he began, "I have a proposition for you." For the next five minutes, Ken listened as Seitou-san explained his idea. He recognized that Ken had a special talent for the sword and wanted to take him on as his disciple. "Think it over, Midorikawa. I'll ask you again next week." He walked to the door and turned. "And I agree with you, by the way."

"Sir?"

"While Yanagi is a very good name, it is not the name of a swordsman." Ken bowed in appreciation and Seitou left. 

:::

After Ken's one and a half hour work out in the yard of the training hall and a half an hour of meditation in the meditation room, he hit the showers. Fifteen minutes past six, he rang the buzzer for Tsukiko's apartment. Her face appeared on the screen, smiling.

"Ken-san! Come on up." she let him in and he climbed the steps to room 211. "It's unlocked!" was the shouted response when he knocked, so he let himself in. 

Tsukiko's apartment was small, only one or two bedrooms, but it was well furnished in a modern way. She had a white couch, white carpets, white walls, an oak and steel coffee table, a steel and oak desk in the corner with a laptop computer opened on it, and a flat TV mounted on the wall with a DVD player, PS2, and VCR hooked up to it. 

"Hello!" he called when he didn't see anyone.

"I'm in here!" a voice called from one of the back rooms. "Make yourself comfortable!" Ken did so, removing his shoes and slipping on a pair of black slippers that were left by the door. He walked into the front room and set his bag on the couch. "Ouch! Dang it!" 

"Tsukiko-san, are you okay?" Ken called back. "Need any help?"

"Ngh! No! I'll be there in a minute! Blast it!" Ken laughed softly and sat on the couch, digging his history book out of his bag. He looked around, noticing a few portraits on the walls of a small girl who looked like Tsukiko with… her parents, it must have been. 

"Aieeee!" Tsukiko's scream was followed by a loud crash. Ken leapt to his feet.

"Tsukiko-san!" he ran to the room the crash came from and was met by a very comical looking Tsukiko sitting on the ground, an overturned step ladder beside her. There was a pile of odds and ends in her lap. She looked up and smiled sheepishly. 

"I found it." She held up a pink cell phone. Ken laughed and moved to help her stand. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, still laughing.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little embarrassed is all." She smiled and brushed herself off. She was wearing a blue jumper that came to mid-thigh and a white mock-turtleneck and her hair was in a loose bun with two locks framing her face. She straightened a black ribbon that hung around her neck, an old key hanging from it.

"You want a drink?" Tsukiko asked when she and Ken reentered the living room.

"Sure. You got any guava juice?"

"Are you kidding?" she opened her refrigerator. "Carbonated or not?" 

"Not. Thanks." She handed him his drink and sat cross-legged on the floor. 

"Oh, good, you found the slippers. They're my dad's old ones. I was afraid they wouldn't fit. I had to dig those out of a box in that unholy pile back there."

"Are your parents not home?" Ken asked, taking a sip of his juice. Tsukiko's eyes got sad, though her smile stayed in place.

"My mother died when I was seven. Dad died a couple of years ago, after he bought this place." 

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Dad used to own the training hall across the street, you know. And I took classes there until last year."

"Why don't you live there then, instead of here?" Ken asked conversationally.

"Dad wasn't very responsible with money. Mom was an accountant, but after she died, things went down the tubes. We went into debt and had to sell the hall. Nanase was a friend of Dad's and when he bought the hall, he let Dad keep teaching. But Dad had a heart attack and died."

"I'm really sorry to hear that." Ken looked around. "But, if your father was in debt, how could afford all of this stuff, if you don't mind my asking."

"No, not at all. Actually, Mother set aside a large inheritance for me while she was alive and Dad had some money, too. And I inherited over 100 million yen when my grandmother died three years ago. And Nanase helped Dad pay off his debts 'as a favor', he said."

"Wow." Ken smiled. "You're pretty lucky to have had such careful parents."

"Huh?"

"Well, they planned for every contingency, right? With the inheritances, I mean."

"Yeah, I guess so." Tsukiko smiled in return. "So! What do you want for dinner?" she asked, brandishing her phone.

:::

Ken didn't dream very often. And when he did, he usually forgot all of it when he woke up. Which is the main reason that, when he woke up later that night, he was confused by the images floating around inside his head. 

"You finally awake?" he started and looked around at the sound of the familiar but still strange voice. Tsukiko was sitting behind him, remote in hand. 

"What happened?"

"You fell asleep around section four." She motioned to his open book and smiled. 

"What time is it?" he sat back and stretched. 

"About eight."

"Let me call my parents." He said, reaching for the phone. A few moments later, he hung up. "Okay, should we keep going?"

"Oh… I just found the Nationals." She pouted. Ken looked at the screen. It was kendo, and he knew both of the competitors. They decided to call it a night.

"Ah, c'mon!" half an hour later, Ken and Tsukiko were sitting on the couch munching on microwave popcorn. Tsukiko was loudly cheering on her obvious favorite, Shidou Hikaru**, and Ken was watching both her and the screen with barely contained amusement. Hikaru was off, but so was her opponent. It was a very close match, but Hikaru won in the end.

"Ha!" Tsukiko clapped once and nearly spilled the bowl of popcorn that rested on her knee. "I knew she could do it!" 

"She was slow." Ken said mildly.

"What?! What do you mean?!"

"Her reflexes. I've gone up against her before. She's better than that."

"She won didn't she?" 

"That's because her opponent was worse than her." Ken pointed out. He smiled and took a drink of his canned tea as Tsukiko fumed for a moment. 

After a few moments, Ken began gathering his belongings.

"I should go." He said. "Thank you for studying with me." She looked up at him, a little disappointed. For a moment, he thought her eyes reminded him of something from a dream… 

"Do you have to go?" she asked plaintively. 

"Well, it is nearly nine." He said calmly, pointing to the clock on her microwave.

"You could stay here tonight!" Tsukiko said quickly. "I—I mean… Well, it _is_ late. And I don't want you to get hurt or anything on the way home… and… and… never mind." She rose and began to walk to the door. "Sorry."

"Well," Ken said with a smile, "it really is late. And I don't want to bother my parents this late for a ride." Tsukiko turned and smiled. "Let me use your phone again."

:::

It was settled five minutes later. Ken convinced his parents that he was staying with "a member of the kendo club". When they asked if his classmate's parents minded getting him to school in the morning, he answered with a cryptic "they didn't say anything against it."

"So," Tsukiko carried an extra futon into the living room, "where'd you move from?"

"Okinawa." Ken said.

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes, yeah. I didn't have a lot of friends, but the ones I had are all great people. Except that my girlfriend's little brother was _way_ too possessive." Tsukiko smiled at that.

"What was your girlfriend's name?"

"Shirou Tori. Her mother was American and insisted on naming her an English name."

"What was she like?" Tsukiko was sitting on the couch, leaning over where he was lounging on the futon. They had moved the coffee table to make room for him to sleep comfortably. 

"Tori was… Tori was special." He said slowly. "She was smart and sweet, but quiet and she got depressed a lot. The guy she was dating before she met me had to leave suddenly. He was in the American military and he got transferred. She would think about him a lot and that made her upset. I think we both knew that she wouldn't ever care about me like that, but we were still close."

"Hmm…" Tsukiko's eyes got an unfocused glaze on them.

"Tsukiko?" she blinked up at him. 

"Huh? Oh. Sorry. I zone out every once in a while. She sounds really special. A little strange, but special."

"Well, she had to mature fast, since her mother died after her bother was born. She raised him and took care of her father."

"Was she beautiful?" Tsukiko blushed. "S-Sorry!" But Ken pulled out his wallet and showed her a picture. Her hair was short and black and tapered around her face. In the picture, she was wearing a full kimono with a light shawl. She had a small smile on her face, but there was sadness in her eyes. She looked very formal and she was, indeed, beautiful.

"Wow." Tsukiko handed the picture back to him. "She looks like a princess." She swung her feet over the edge of the couch. "I should go to bed. Thanks for staying with me tonight, Ken-san." She smiled as she walked towards her bedroom.

"Good night, Tsukiko-san." He smiled and she waved, yawning. Ken laid his head down on the small pillow as Tsukiko turned off the light.

::: End of Chapter 1:::

Nami's Notes:

Oooh! Chapter 1 is done! I've never done that before… So, can you **guess** which series this is an AU for? Hmm… Let me see…

The original characters are **not** mine! But Midorikawa "Ken" Yanagi, his family, Tsukiko's mine too. So are Seitou and Nanase and all the others. They may be ooc, but that's because these are my own characters. They're just based _loosely_ on the Kenshin-gumi.

That's all. Comments/questions are always welcome. I don't like flames, though. It's because of my aura. It's blue and sensitive and over emotional. So keep your negativity to yourself, 'kay? If ya don't like it, don't read it, silly!

** CLAMP rules! And Shidou Hikaru belongs to them, not me. Duh. 


	3. UnK Chapter 2 (part 1)

Unmei no Kodomo  
  
Destiny's Child  
  
By Nami  
  
Opening notes:   
  
Bet you thought I was dead, didn't you? I'm not! I've just been a little distracted... (Zoom in to the computer screen. Instead of UnK, web forums are open all over the screen.) Ack! Don't look at that!!  
  
So! Here it is at last! Unmei no Kodomo Chapter 2!! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last prologue and first chapter. I appreciate any suggestions. Such as the one that Ken use everyone's Gumi names once. I'm thinking of working that in once I have all the characters worked in, and it's all thanks to you! Please continue to read and offer your suggestions.  
  
:::Chapter 2:::  
  
Ken was up and dressed and fixing breakfast for himself and Tsukiko when he heard his hostess drag herself into the bathroom. About an hour later, she joined him, hairbrush and navy hair tie in hand. She had donned the navy blue sailor uniform with two stripes on the left arm that marked her as a sophomore and her hair was hanging straight around her face.  
  
"Good morning." Ken greeted cheerily, handing Tsukiko a cup of coffee.  
  
"Morning." Tsukiko plopped down in a chair at the table and sipped her coffee.  
  
"Breakfast is almost ready." Ken smiled over his shoulder.  
  
"Mm... Smells good..." Tsukiko sighed as she laid her head on the table. "What is it?"  
  
"Eggs, pancakes, and bacon."  
  
"You found all that in my fridge?" Tsukiko raised her head at that, confusion in her eyes. Ken laughed.  
  
"No. You're supplies are... limited, to say the least. I stole your house key and went to the store this morning. Here you go." He turned and held her key out to her.  
  
"Eh, keep it. I have an extra set." Ken looked at her, surprised. "What?"  
  
"You're giving a virtual stranger keys to your apartment?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah, why not?" Ken simply blinked. "Look, you're a friend, right?"  
  
"But you just met me yesterday. How do you know you can trust me?"  
  
"I'm a good judge of character." Tsukiko shrugged and Ken set her breakfast in front of her.  
  
"Well, I'll leave it up to you. If you want them back, I'll give them to you. I probably won't use them much." Tsukiko shrugged again.  
  
"It's up to you." She glanced at the clock. "Gyah! We'll be late!"  
  
And any further conversation was cut off as Tsukiko shoveled her food into her mouth.  
  
::::  
  
They arrived at the school with fifteen minutes to spare.  
  
"You see?" Tsukiko said as they rushed into their classroom. "I had plenty of time." She pulled her hair into a high ponytail with the navy blue hair tie she had grabbed before breakfast.  
  
"You're the one who rushed through her breakfast so we wouldn't be late." Ken pointed out, setting his bag on his desk.  
  
"I'm going to have to make you fix me breakfast more often." Tsukiko switched subjects before Ken turned his attention back to her. "I usually have a burnt pop tart and a can of tea."  
  
They chatted together until the bell rang, ushering in the start of the school day, and they were forced to take their seats as the teacher entered the room.  
  
::::  
  
"Hey." The boy behind Ken poked him in the shoulder with his pencil. "Hey, Midorikawa."  
  
"Shh." Ken hissed over his shoulder.  
  
"Look, is what I hear about you an' Hinata true?" Ken didn't answer. " `Cause I hear that you two are doin' it." Ken frowned, but didn't turn around. "Hey, I'm talkin' to you. Is she any good? Hey." Ken turned then, snatching the boy's pencil away from him and snapping it in half. "Hey!"  
  
"Midorikawa-kun," the teacher's voice was sharp, "go stand in the hall."  
  
"Yes, sensei." Ken rose and, with a glare to the boy behind him, walked into the hallway, missing Tukiko's questioning gaze.  
  
After class ended, Tsukiko was the first one out the door. She carried their bentos, which Ken had packed for them that morning.  
  
"What was that all about?" she asked as they made their way outside.  
  
"What?"  
  
"All that in class with Hikou-kun. What happened?"  
  
"Um," Ken began nervously, "Hikou-kun was saying some things. He made me mad, is all. I'm over it now." Not really over it... Ken squelched that little voice in the back of his mind.  
  
"Are you sure? You looked really pissed off."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." He smiled at her and she dropped it. They sat together under one of the trees and ate their lunches without further mention of the incident, much to Ken's relief.  
  
::::  
  
The peace of the day was shattered, however, during the kendo club's practice that afternoon. Hikou, as a member of the archery team, was at the school, using the same yard as the kendo team. This time, his taunts were compounded by those of his teammates.  
  
"Hey, Midorikawa!" Ken turned, glaring. The boys waved for him to join them and he walked over grudgingly. "Is Hinata that violent in the bedroom?" Ken tightened his grip on his shinai and resisted the urge to brain his classmates.  
  
"Ken-san!" Tsukiko's voice rang out clear and sharp across the yard. "What are you doing?" Ken didn't turn to respond, trying to focus and control his anger. "Midorikawa-kun!" Ken heard Tsukiko's approaching steps. "Ken!" she was standing directly behind him now.  
  
"Tsukiko-san, I need a moment, please." Ken ground out. "I will return to practice soon."  
  
"You will return to practice now, Ken-san." The boys sniggered and nudge each other. Ken felt his temper rising as they turned their attention to Tsukiko.  
  
"Hinata-kun," one of them, an upperclassman, spoke up, "maybe you can answer our questions."  
  
"Yeah, your boyfriend doesn't seem quite... forthcoming."  
  
"Don't you dare." Ken said, his voice low. "Tsukiko-san, please. I will return in a moment." Tsukiko's brow furrowed and she turned back to the rest of the club.  
  
"Okay everyone, back to work. We have competition in two weeks, remember!" Ken continued to glare at his tormentors.  
  
"I refuse to answer these questions. And if you approach either Tsukiko-san or myself with these ideas again, I will make you sorry. Understood?" the boys laughed and didn't respond as Ken returned to his practice.  
  
::::  
  
Nami's Notes:  
  
Aaaaaah!!! I don't know what to do next! I'm more than open to suggestions... I have no idea what is going to happen next. I want to introduce Sano and Megumi soon, but I don't know how I'll do that, either. Well, this is the first have of chapter 2. Plz don't hurt me for not finishing it! 


	4. UnK Chapter 2 (part 2)

Unmei no Kodomo  
  
Destiny's Child  
  
By Nami  
  
Opening Notes:  
  
Here's the second half of chapter 2! Thank you, minna, for your suggestions. I hope that this is a satisfactory continuation.  
  
:::Chapter 2 (part 2):::  
  
Practice ended later than usual that afternoon. Ken walked Tsukiko back to her apartment before making his way home.  
  
"Do you think we'll be ready for the competition?" Tsukiko asked as they made their way to her place.  
  
"I think that some of us will." Ken answered honestly. "Youji-san and yourself are our best chances, I think."  
  
"And you?"  
  
"I don't compete in the same class as you guys, remember?"  
  
"But me and Youji aren't in the same class, either. I'm better than him." Tsukiko pointed out casually.  
  
"That's very true." Ken agreed. There was a stretch of silence.  
  
"Ken-san," Tsukiko glanced at him and readjusted her backpack, "What were those guys talking about this afternoon?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You know, Hikou and those archery guys. What were they talking about?" Tsukiko pressed.  
  
"Just some crazy rumors." Ken said dismissively. "Nothing, really."  
  
"Oh? You didn't react as though it were nothing." Ken sighed as it became clear that Tsukiko wasn't going to drop the subject. "And why did they say you were my boyfriend?"  
  
"Apparently," Ken began, "Word got out that I stayed at your place last night. Now some of the guys think we're sleeping together."  
  
"Oh, that!" Ken face faulted. "The girls were talking about it. They were asking me all sorts of embarrassing questions. I told them that it wasn't true, though. I told them that you did spend the night, but that you stayed on the couch and it was only because we studied so late. After a few tries, they all got it."  
  
"How did the school find out?!" Ken nearly exploded. They had reached Tsukiko's building and she entered. Ken followed, listening intently to her explanation of how things happened.  
  
"Well," Tsukiko began as she pushed her front door open, "you know the little boy who cleans up at the dojo, right?" Ken nodded. "He saw you come over here and told his older sister."  
  
"So she told everyone?"  
  
"No. She's in middle school. She told her boyfriend though, and he told his brother, who told his girlfriend. And she told her cousin, who told her younger sister, who told her friend, who told her brother."  
  
"A-And?" Ken stared, wide-eyed.  
  
"And his name is Hikou Akira." Ken face faulted again.  
  
"My god, in this huge city…" he muttered.  
  
"Yeah, amazing, isn't it? You want a drink?" Ken blinked and shook his head.  
  
"No thanks. I should get home."  
  
"Okay." Tsukiko smiled brightly. "See you!" Ken nodded and waved as he left the apartment.  
  
He made his way home slowly, not allowing himself to contemplate what Tsukiko had relayed to him. What a headache. He sighed and turned the last corner onto his street.  
  
"Aren't you a little late?" Ken whirled at the familiar voice. "School ended, what, three hours ago?"  
  
"Shuhei!" Ken cried as the taller boy stepped into the circle of the street lamp. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I live here now. So, what took you so long?"  
  
"I was walking a friend home."  
  
"And this 'friend' lives three hours away?"  
  
"Kendo practice, Shuhei." Ken began walking again. Shuhei kept pace beside him. "When did you move to Tokyo?"  
  
"Uhm…" Shuhei did a few mental calculations. "Four hours ago." Ken blinked.  
  
"You're folks are here?"  
  
"Nope. I'm on my own. So, it's getting pretty close to dinner time, huh?"  
  
"Yes, Shuhei." Ken deadpanned. "And yes, you can come over."  
  
::::  
  
"Mom!" Ken called as he kicked off his shoes. "Dad! I'm home!"  
  
"Hello!"  
  
"And I brought a stray!" Ken's voice turned sarcastic. There was no response.  
  
"Is anyone home?" Shuhei asked, following Ken into the entryway.  
  
"They should be." Ken said softly, frowning. "Mom, Dad!" There was no answer. "Emi! Sara!" Ken turned his steps to the stairs. "I'm going to check upstairs, Shuhei. You look around down here, okay?"  
  
They didn't have to search for long, however, before Shuhei made a startling discovery in the hall closet. His cry of alarm brought Ken running.  
  
"What the—"  
  
" 'Niichan!" Emi and Sara were crammed into the bottom of the closet, tied hand and foot. Shuhei stood back as Ken hastily untied his sisters and pulled them out of the closet.  
  
"What happened? Where's Mom and Dad?"  
  
Sara's bottom lip began to tremble and tears filled Emi's eyes, but the older girl answered. "Some men came right after Papa got home and took him and Mama. They told me to give you this." She handed him a business card that had been shoved in the waistband of her school uniform. Ken recognised the crest in the corner and snatched the card away from his sister with a snarl.  
  
"Emi, take Sara up stairs. I want you to both pack whatever clothes you'll need for a week and grab your sleeping bags and pillows. We're going someplace else." Emi nodded gravely and took the sniffling Sara upstairs.  
  
"Shu, do you have a phone on you? Thanks." Ken dialled Tsukiko's number and waited for her to pick up the phone.  
  
"^Tsukiko here!^" the cheerful voice picked up a moment later.  
  
"Tsukiko-san, I need a favour."  
  
"^Ken-san? What is it?^"  
  
A few minutes later, Ken hung up the phone. His sisters were on the stairs, both carrying school bags and overnight sacks and dragging sleeping bags and pillows. Ken walked over and took the sleeping bags as Shuhei took the pillows.  
  
"Ken, what's up? What was on that card?" Shuhei asked softly as they made their way down the street.  
  
"It was The Dragon."  
  
:::End Chapter 2, part 2:::  
  
Nami's Notes  
  
Ooh! Cliff-hanger! So… The end of chapter two! What'd you think? I'm sorry that it took so long to update. Really, I'm very sorry. But, it's up now! ^____________^;;  
  
So… What do /you/ think the Dragon is…? 


	5. UnK Chapter 3

:::Chapter 3:::  
  
"It was The Dragon." Ken answered in an equally soft voice. Shuhei's face went still and his eyes flashed.  
  
"You think your folks're okay?"  
  
"They don't want to hurt them. They're trying to hurt me. I'm worried about Emi and Sara." He watched his sisters in silence for a while. Emi was holding Sara's hand as they made their way down the street. "I called a friend of mine. She'll let them stay with her until I can get this worked out."  
  
"Will they be safe? Maybe you should stay with 'em too…"  
  
"No. Tsukiko-san is trained in kendo. She can at least defend against any intruders. And besides, there are already enough rumours at school about her and me. She doesn't need it getting out that I moved in with her and we're 'playing house' with my sisters." Normally, Shuhei would have found the news of rumours about his best friend a source of great amusement, but under the circumstances, he held his tongue.  
  
"I was wondering," Ken added after a while, "if I could stay at your place. Then we could figure out how to deal with this together."  
  
"Sure, man. You may have to crash on the floor, though. Landlord wouldn't like it if I moved another bed into the place."  
  
"Thanks, Shu."  
  
Ken told Emi and Sara where to turn and they made their way to Tsukiko's building in relative silence. Ken called up to Tsukiko's apartment and let the group in at the buzz.  
  
"Go ahead and use your key, Ken-san!" The door muffled Tsukiko's voice. Emi, Sara, and Shuhei looked at Ken with raised eyebrows at the statement. Ken cleared his throat loudly and let everyone into the apartment.  
  
"Hi!" Tsukiko called from the kitchen. "I'm boiling water for tea. Go ahead and make yourselves at home!"  
  
Ken and Shuhei had just settled down on the couch, Emi and Sara curled under their brother's arms, when Tsukiko walked into the living room, tray in her hands.  
  
"Tsukiko-san, thank you so much. I owe you big." Ken smiled weakly at her.  
  
Tsukiko, who had until then been eyeing Shuhei, smiled sympathetically at her friend. "Don't worry about it, Ken-san. I'm just glad that I can do something for you. Uhm… I don't mean to be rude," she looked pointedly at Shuhei, "But, who's that?"  
  
"Oh! Hinata Tsukiko, this is Yuuki Shuhei. He's a friend from Okinawa." Tsukiko smiled.  
  
"Pleased to meet you." She handed Shuhei a cup of tea and poured one for Ken and herself. Emi and Sara had fallen asleep on Ken's lap, so there was an extra cup on the tray when the three teenagers had been served.  
  
They sat in a rather awkward silence for a long while before Tsukiko spoke again. "Do you have any idea what happened to your parents?"  
  
"I know." Ken said darkly. "I know /exactly/ what happened." Tsukiko frowned slightly and waited for him to continue, but Emi was stirring.  
  
"'Niichan…?" She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Shu-chan?"  
  
"Emi-chan," Ken said gently, "I want you to meet a friend of mine." Tsukiko rose from her chair and squatted in front of the little girl.  
  
"I'm Tsukiko." She held out her hand. "Your name's Emi?" Emi nodded, shaking Tsukiko's hand and yawning. "How old are you, Emi?"  
  
"Eight." Emi answered softly.  
  
Ken shook Sara's shoulder, waking her, too.  
  
"Hn…?" The smaller girl blinked and pushed herself up. "Aniki?"  
  
"Sara, this is my friend Tsukiko-san. You and Emi are going to be staying with her until Mama and Papa come back."  
  
"Where will you be?" Sara blinked wide brown eyes at her brother, who smiled gently.  
  
"I'll be staying with Shuhei. You remember him?" Shuhei waved when Sara looked at him.  
  
"Tsuki-chan," Emi, who was much more awake, had stood up beside her hostess and was pulling her arm. "Tsuki-chan, I want to help you with the dishes."  
  
"Dishes?" Tsukiko blinked at the child, who simply pointed at the tea tray.  
  
"/Those/ dishes." Tsukiko smiled.  
  
"Alright. Come on then, Emi-chan. We'll do the dishes. Do you want to help, Sara?"  
  
"No thank you, Tsukiko-san." Tsukiko blinked, looking amused by the little girl's response.  
  
"Okay then, Sara-san. Maybe you and your brother can go get your sleeping bags? Do you want to sleep here in the living room or in my bedroom?"  
  
"Your room!" Emi answered immediately. "I wanna sleep in your room!" Tsukiko laughed outright.  
  
"Alright then." She turned to Ken. "It's at the end of the hall." Ken nodded and stood up, picking up Emi's sleeping bag and pillow. Sara picked up her own and dutifully followed her brother down the hall to the master bedroom.  
  
Shuhei was left with his own thoughts in the living room. He was contemplating whether or not it would be worth it to plug in Tsukiko's PS2 when the box near the door buzzed loudly.  
  
"Oh! Shu-kun, could you get that?" Tsukiko's voice came from the kitchen. "It's the green button on the right!" Shuhei, not having anything else to do, rose and pressed the indicated button. A few moments later, there was a light rapping on the door. Shuhei, still having nothing better with which to occupy his time, answered it.  
  
"Tsu—oh!" The visitor, a young woman with long black hair and sharp brown eyes stood at the door, hand searching for something in her bag. "And you are…?"  
  
"Yuuki Shuhei. You?" The girl frowned and entered the apartment.  
  
"A friend of Tsukiko's. Is she here?"  
  
"Meiko? Is that you?" Tsukiko emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. Emi followed a short time later.  
  
"Tsukiko-chan, who are these people?" The girl, Meiko, looked from Emi to Shuhei.  
  
"Uhm… Yuuki Shuhei and Midorikawa Emi. And…" Ken and Sara returned to the living room at that time. "…Emi's older brother Ken and her little sister Sara." Sara bowed when she was introduced. Meiko nodded in return. "Emi and Sara-san are staying with me while their parents are out of town. And Ken- san is staying with Shuhei-kun."  
  
"Oh." Meiko looked around. "I brought the tea for you." She pulled a small sack from her purse and offered it to the other girl.  
  
"Thank you. How's your uncle?" Meiko's uncle was the pharmacist at the small clinic down the street from Tsukiko's apartment.  
  
"He's fine. Aunt Juri had her baby. A little girl. They named her Suzume." Meiko smiled. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to get back to the clinic or Aunt Juri will worry. Did you need anything else?"  
  
"No, this should do it. Thank you, Meiko-chan. See you tomorrow." Meiko waved as she made her way out of the apartment.  
  
"Well, Emi, Sara," Ken spoke up, "It's past your bedtime and you both have to go to school in the morning." Ken herded his sisters back to the bedroom.  
  
Ken returned to the living room to find Tsukiko and Shuhei hooking up the PS2 and arguing over games. As far as he could tell, Tsukiko wanted to play Dance, Dance Revolution and Shuhei wanted a considerably more violent game.  
  
"Ken-san, please /remind/ your friend that this is /my/ console and /I/ will choose the game!" Tsukiko's teeth were clenched and her shoulders were hunched as she glared at Shuhei.  
  
"Shu…" Ken walked over and sat on the couch. Shuhei gawked at his friend for a moment.  
  
"Traitor!" He cried finally, sitting on the ground in a huff. Ken chuckled and Tsukiko beamed victoriously at Shuhei as she plugged in the game.  
  
"So, Ken-san," Tsukiko said, taking a break from the game after about fifteen minutes. Shuhei eyed the game for a minute before getting up and taking over. Tsukiko laughed softly as she watched him. "What happened?"  
  
"That…" Ken sighed and continued sotto voce. "Tsukiko-san, there were a lot of factors that contributed to us moving here. Okinawa doesn't hold a lot of good memories for my family. Did you notice that I'm the only one in my family with red hair? That's because my mom had an affair with an American soldier before she married my dad and I was born.  
  
"I got into a lot of trouble back then. I was in a gang called The Tigers. Shu was in the same gang. For the most part, we just went to arcades and clubs in a pack and hung out all the time. We'd get into fights sometimes with other gangs, but it was never anything serious. Just a fistfight or two that would end before it really began because we were too chicken to actually fight.  
  
"I got into a real fight with a guy in a /real/ gang once, though. I didn't know his name, but I fought him. And I won. But to do that, I killed him."  
  
Tsukiko gasped and Shuhei, who had stopped playing, snorted.  
  
"Tell the whole story, Ken." He turned to Tsukiko. "The guy attacked him. Ken had to kill 'im. It was self-defence."  
  
"Which is why I was never convicted of murder. But I still killed a man." Ken wasn't looking at Tsukiko or Shuhei anymore. His eyes were focused entirely on the ceiling. "The gang he was part of was called The Dragon. They're more of a mafia, really, in that all the members are part of the same family. Well, I killed one of them and they never really forgave me. They have my parents."  
  
Tsukiko was silent. Shuhei was silent. Ken was silent and still. The only sound in the room, actually, was the game, which was playing itself out in 'demo' mode.  
  
Ken stood abruptly and fished the key out of his pocket. He set it on the table and made for the door. "We'll go now."  
  
"Hold it." Tsukiko had risen, the key clutched in her fist. Her eyes were narrowed and her mouth was set in a firm line. Ken steeled himself for a verbal attack, but none came. Instead, Tsukiko thrust the key back at him. "I gave this to you because I trust you. I'm not going to /not/ trust you now because of something you did out of /self-defence/ in the past. If you were going to hurt me at all, you could have done it anytime. When you stayed the night." Shuhei's eyebrows disappeared beneath his hair at that comment.  
  
"Tsukiko-san, I—"  
  
"No. I don't care about what happened in the past, Ken-san. It doesn't matter to me. Everyone does things that they aren't proud of. It wasn't a good time for you. You said that yourself. Do you think that /I/ can judge you? Maybe you think too much of me. Or too little of yourself." She smiled warmly and stepped toward him, key extended.  
  
Ken smiled weakly in return and accepted the key. He held it in his fist and bowed low in thanks before turning to the door.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow, Tsukiko-san." Then he and Shuhei were gone.  
  
:::End Chapter 3:::  
  
Nami's Notes:  
  
Whew! I'm on a roll! So! The Dragon is explained. Did you guess it? Be watching for cameos (and possibly more…) from Yahiko, Tsubame, Misao, and Aoshi. Meiko—AKA Megumi—will be popping up more regularly, too.  
  
As always, I love your feedback. So review! (Even if you already have once or twice before. I like to know that ppl like this story enough to keep up with it.) ^^ 


	6. UnK Chapter 4

:::Chapter 4:::  
  
Ken entered the classroom the next day and took his seat in silence. Tsukiko, who was standing in the room when he entered, looked at him, frowning slightly.  
  
"Ken-san?" He started when she approached him.  
  
"Oh. Tsukiko-san. Good morning. Did Emi and Sara behave?"  
  
"Morning. Yes, they were fine. Sara-san is the most well-mannered six year old I've ever met." Ken nodded absently. "You look. distracted. Or exhausted. I can't decide."  
  
"Both. Shu's neighbours had a party last night. And I was sleeping on the floor. Doesn't make for a good combination. And my uniform's dirty because Shu's building doesn't have any sort of a laundry room. /And/ Shu and I stayed up late talking about. things." Ken sighed and laid his head on the desk. "All in all, a pretty shitty 24 hours."  
  
Tsukiko sat in her desk and placed her hand on the back of his head. "You could stay with me again." She offered, petting his red hair absently. "The couch is open."  
  
Ken sat up and Tsukiko's hand fell to the desk. "No, that's okay. I don't want to put you in danger, too."  
  
"Well," Tsukiko smiled, "You could come over to my place after school and wash your uniform, at least."  
  
Ken shook his head. "I have class this evening."  
  
"Even better! I'll walk you to the dojo, take the uniform to wash, and you can pick it up before you go back to Shu-kun's." Ken smiled wearily.  
  
"Thanks, Tsukiko-san. You're a life saver."  
  
"Of course," Tsukiko winked, "I'm a woman. That's my job."  
  
::::  
  
The kendo team didn't have practice that afternoon, and Ken was glad that he at least got a break there. He and Tsukiko walked to the elementary school to pick up his sisters before heading back to her apartment.  
  
Ken crashed on the couch almost immediately and Tsukiko ushered Emi and Sara to the dining room. After sitting the down with a small snack and instructions to do their homework quietly, she made her way to her bedroom.  
  
After she changed out of her uniform, she grabbed her cell phone and pressed the speed-dial.  
  
"^Hello?^"  
  
"Meiko-chan? It's me."  
  
::::  
  
An hour later, Ken was on his way to the dojo. Tsukiko locked her apartment and left instructions with Emi and Sara not to let anyone in. Then she walked Ken across the street and waited while he changed into his kendo gear and handed his uniform to her in a sack.  
  
"See you after class, then." She smiled and, with a friendly wave to the students she remembered from her time there, went back home.  
  
When she got there, she was surprised to find the door unlocked.  
  
"Emi-chan!" she called as she opened the door. "Sara-san!"  
  
"Yo, Tsuki." Shuhei stepped casually out of the kitchen, large bowl of macaroni and cheese in his hand. Tsukiko wondered vaguely where he had found a box of mac an' cheese in her kitchen.  
  
"Shu-kun? What are you doing here? And where are the girls?"  
  
"Changing."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"They were done with their homework when I got here, so they went to change."  
  
"Why'd they let you in?"  
  
"Tsuki," Shuhei looked at her, "Emi-chan and Sara-chan have known me since they were babies. They know I wouldn't hurt them. Hell, I'm practically a brother to 'em."  
  
"Uh-huh. Well, I need to wash this." She hefted the uniform and walked back to her bedroom. She returned to the living a few minutes later, laundry basket in hand, in time to catch Shuhei's ratty T-Shirt on the top of the pile.  
  
"What the-"  
  
"Thanks, Tsuki. I'll owe ya." Shuhei was sitting at the dining room table, casually eating his stolen food.  
  
Tsukiko grumbled, but made her way to the door anyway.  
  
"I assume you can handle things here while I'm gone? And, Shu-kun, /try/ not to eat all of my food. Really. I can't afford to feed you on my budget."  
  
Shuhei's only response was to stick his tongue out with the half-chewed macaroni intact.  
  
"Ooh." A new voice chimed in from the door Tsukiko held open. "Nice reply, big boy. I'll keep you in mind next time I feel like winning a battle of wits."  
  
Tsukiko smiled as the new arrival made her way through the door, flipping long black hair over her shoulder as she moved.  
  
"Meiko-chan! You're here!"  
  
"Of course I am. You called me and said you needed a favour."  
  
"Yeah. I have to run to the laundry room. I have to wash this for Ken-san." She motioned to the uniform. "so could you hang out here 'til I get back?"  
  
"Ken-san.?" Meiko looked puzzled. "Oh, right! Your new boyfriend!"  
  
Shuhei's chuckle was muffled as Tsukiko's cheeks reddened. "He's not my boyfriend!" she cried defensively. With a sigh, she exited the apartment. "I'll be back." she muttered as the door closed behind her.  
  
:::End Chapter 4:::  
  
Nami's Notes: Gods! How long did this one take?!  
  
Erm. I hope you enjoyed it. I know, nothing happened in this chapter. Bet you thought I was going to move the plot along after introducing The Dragon, didn't you? But that's not how I do things. So you'll just have to wait until next time! Ohohohohohohoho~~! n_n And who knows when that'll be. 


End file.
